Fruit-gatherer.



No. 794,884. PATENTED JULY 18, 1905. M. L. PORTER.

FRUIT GATHERER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 22, 1904 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 nuzufoz f/drf/n[1,7571%]? gem (13M No. 794,884. PATENTED JULY 18, 1905.

M. L. PORTER.

FRUIT GATHERER.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.22, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

ANDREW a. GRAHAM 0a.. LIYHOGRAPHERS, WASHKNQTON. a c.

PATENTED JULY 18, 1905.

M. L. PORTER.

FRUIT GATHERER.

APPLIUATIOK FILED 1120.22, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

FILE-- 5- UNITED STATES Patented July 18, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRUlT-GATHERER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,884, dated July 18,1905.

Application filed December 22, 1904. Serial No. 238,022.

To a whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN LUTH R PORTER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Red- .ding, in the county of Shasta and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFruit-Gatherers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improved fruit-gatherer comprising a supporting-frameand a fabric stretched on the frame and onto which the fruit falls fromthe tree, the frame being composed of separable sections adapted to beunited around a tree; and it consists in the construction andcombination of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved device of thischaracter which is light, strong, cheap, and portable and is providedwith means for preventing the fruit from being bruised when it isdropped onto the device, and thereby injured.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a partial top plan view of afruit-gatherer embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a sectional viewtaken on the plane indicated by the line a a of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is asimilar view taken on the plane indicated by the line b b of Fig. 1.Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view taken on the plane indicated by theline 0 c of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a similar view taken on the planeindicated by the line d d of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a detail invertedperspective view of one of the sections.

The frame of my improved fruit-gatherer may be of any suitable form. Itis indicated in Fig. 1 as of hexagonal form and as comprising threeseparable sections, all of which are adapted to be assembled around thetree, so as to supportthe fabric under thetree and above the ground tocatch the fruit dropped from the tree. I will now describe one of thesaid sections.

The frame of each section has a pair of radially-disposed bars 2 3,which are connected together near their inner ends byadiagonallydisposed plate 4. The extreme inner ends of the bars 2 3 areseparated from each other,

and the sections when united form an opening at their center for thetrunk of the tree. The outer ends of the radial bars 2 3 are connectedtogether by a pair of outer bars 5 6. The plate 4 is secured to theunder side of the radial bars 2 3, and on the said plate and between thesaid bars is disposed a diagonally-arranged bar 7. The upper sides ofthe bars 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7 are beveled or inclined, so that they presentlaterally-inclined inwardly-descending surfaces 8. The said bars aredisposed in the same horizontal plane.

At the angles between the bars 2 3 5 6, on the under sides thereof,arecrossed brace-irons 9. To the intersecting portions thereof are boltedthe outer ends of iron or other metallic plates 10, which are bolted tothe under sides of inwardly-extending outwardly-inclined bars 11, eachof which comprises two longitudinal sections 12, having their uppersides oppositely beveled, as at 13. A pair of radially-disposed inclinedbars 14 have their outer ends secured to the bars 5 6 near the angleformed thereby. The inner ends of the said inclined bars 14 rest on theground and are under the plate 4 and bars 7 and are connected to thelatter by a standard or supporting-leg 15, which is here shown asprovided with braces 16, that are connected to the plate 4 near theircenters. The said bars 14 are connected together by a plate 17, which issecured on the upper sides thereof and is at the outer edge beveled orinclined, as at 18. An inclined bar 19, which comprises a pair ofsections 20, that are similar in construction to the sections 12 of thebars 11, have their inner ends attached to the central portion of theplate 4. The said inclined bar 19 passes between the bars 14, rests onthe inclined or beveled edge 18 of the plate 17 and is secured to thesaid plate by a bolt, screw, or other suitable device. The inclined endsof the bars 11 are also secured to the said inclined bars 14 near thecenters of the latter.

From the under side of the bar 5, at or near the center thereof, dependsthe standard 21, and a similar standard 22 depends from the center ofthe bar 6. Said standards are respectively provided with braces 23 24.

An inclined foot-bar 25 has its outer end secured to the bar 2 near thecenter thereof. The inclined end of the said foot-bar rests on theground and the lower end of the standard 21 is secured on said foot-bar.A brace 26 connects said foot-bar to the bar 11; A footbar 27 which issimilar to the bar 25, is secured to the bar 3, is connected to theother bar 11 by a brace 28, and the lower end of the standard 22 issecured on the said foot-bar 27. It will be understood from theforegoing and by reference to the drawings that the bars 11 and theouter portions of the bars Hand 19 converge downwardly. The upperportions of the inclined bars 1 L have their upper sides oppositelybeveled or inclined, as at 29.

The fabric 30, which covers each frame-section, may be of canvas or anyother suitable material. Its upper edges are secured on the outer upperedges of the bars 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7. This fabric presents a plurality ofdownwardly-converging inclined surfaces. Being attached to the outer orupper edges of the frame-bars and its inclined surfaces being angularlydisposed with reference to the inclined upper surfaces of theframe-bars, said fabric is out of contact with the said surfaces of theframe-bars, and the latter are prevented from bruising the fruit whichdrops upon the fabric from the tree. The troughs formed by the inclinedsurfaces of the fabric above the bars 11 are provided with dependingwebs 31, which are secured between the sections of the said bars. Thelatter are at some distance below the fabric and are-entirely out ofcontact therewith, and the webs connected to the bars serve to spreadthe fabric and keepit comparatively rigid. The various inclined surfacesof the fabric meet at the center of the frame-section and cause thefruit to roll thereto. The portion of the fabric between the upperportions of the inclined bars 14 extends downwardly therefrom to form adischarge-trough 32, as shown in detail in Fig. 4, whichdischarge-trough leads from the center of the frame-section and servesto convey the fruit by gravity from'the fabric to a suitable receptacle.From the center of this trough depends a web 33 similar to the webs 31,hereinbefore described, which web 33 is secured between the lowerportions of the sections of the inclined bar 19.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the inventionwill be readily understood without requiring a more extendedexplanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-,

1. Afruit-gatherercomprisingaframehaving members provided withlaterally-inclined upper surfaces, and a fabric attached to the saidmembers at the upper portion of their inclined surfaces and otherwiseout of contact therewith.

2. A fruit-gatherer comprising a frame, a fabric supportedthereon,having downwardlyconverginginclined surfaces, depending webs,and bars to which the webs are secured.

3. In a fruit-gatherer, a fabric having downwardly-converging surfaces,webs depending from the angles thereof, and bars to which the dependingwebs are secured.

4:. A fruit-gatherer comprising a plurality of separable sections eachcomposed of aframe having a pair of radial bars forming two sidesthereof, outer side bars connecting the radial bars together, supportsfor the frame, inclined bars extending transversely under the frame fromthe angles thereof,and a fabric attached to the sides and inclined barsof the frame and having downwardly-converging surfaces.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

MARTIN LUTHER PORTER.

Witnesses:

ALEX. LUDWIG, GEORGE O. PERRY.

